Lasting machine and method



July 2, 1946.

B. JORGENSEN LASTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed May 2l, 1945 July 2, 1946. B. JORGENSEN i 2,403,003

LASTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed May 2l, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 In @en for' Bernhardt Jrgensen July 2, 1946. B. JoRGENsEN LASTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed May 2l, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 In ven for Bernhardt Jrgensen E n `Fully 2, 1946.

B. JORGENSEN LASTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed May 2l, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor Bernhardt Jrgensen By 1- orne July 2, 1946. B. JoRGENsr-:N

LASTING MACHINE AND METIIOD Filed May 21, 1945 6 Sheets-Shee'cl 5 In 0 en for Bemba dt rgensen July 2, 1946. B, JORGENSEN 2,403,003

LASTING 'MACHINE AND METHOD Filed May 2l, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 lilllllllllllllllllll.)le

I v4 Lillllllllllllllllll;1.1";A .Be Y' r1 h 0. Y' d t gjrg e VI S e )'I 'Patented July 2, 1943 trau STATES l 2,403,003 LAs'rlNG MACHINE AND mamon Application May 21, 1945, Serial No. 595,018

31 Claims. l

This invention relates to lasting machines and 'methods of lasting, and in its machine aspects is herein illustrated as applied to a toe-lasting machine constructed generally as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,324,509, granted on July 20, 1943 on an application of mine, but modied in certain respects as disclosed especially in United States Letters Patent No. 2,377,887, granted on June l2, 1945 on an application of mine. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to machine organizations of that particular character or to a method involving the use of such a machine.

The machine shown in the above-mentioned Letters Patent No. 2,324,509, when modied as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,377,887, is provided with a toe former for conforming the toeend portion of a multi-ply upper to the contour of a last by wiping it heightwise of the last, with means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the upper thus conformed to the contour of the last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted inwardly over an insole on the last next to the insole, and with wipers for thereafter wiping the margin of the outer layer inwardly over the insole. The machine is also provided with grippers which grip the margin of the several layersof the upper at the end and the sides of the toe' respectively, the grippers being operated to pull the upper in outward directions lengthwise and widthwise of the last prior to the action of the toe former thereon and holding the upper under tension while subjecting it -to a further pull as the toe former is operated to wipe the upper heighthwise of the last. The grippers then hold the margin of the upper spread outwardly over the wipers preparatory to the upper-trimming operation which is performed by a plurality of trimming knives movable outwardly from positions opposite the bottom of the last, the grippers releasing the upper in time relation to the movements of the knives and being retracted to avoid interference with by the toe former and the operations of pulling fluid-pressure means to which fluid, preferably oil, is supplied from a. common source of fluid under pressure.

As disclosed particularly in the above-men- V tion'ed Letters Patent No. 2,377,887, the machine is further so constructed that the grippers are permitted to slip on the upper in response to its resistance to the force of the pull, especially as the upper is wiped heightwise of the last, the force with which they grip the upper being definitely predetermined to determine thereby the force of the pull. For the latter purpose, and in order to vary as desired the force of the pull,

fluid is supplied to the fluid-pressure means for closing the gripper jaws on the upperthrough an automatic pressure-controlling valve which may be adjustably controlled to vary the pressure of the fluid thus supplied independently of the it and of wiping it heightwise of the last are repeated, the grippers at this time, however, acting only on the outer layer of the upper materials. Cement is then applied to the shoe and the wipers are operated to wipe the margin of the oute' layer inwardly over the insole into position to be secured to the insole by the cement. The machine is an automatic machine in which the various instrumentalities are operated at the proper times in a cycle of operations of the machine by pressure of the fluid at the source of supply. Since the pressure at the source may fluctuate somewhat by reason of the admission of fluid to other fluid-operated means with which the machine is provided, the fluid for maintaining the grip of the jaws on `the upper is automatically trappedby the pressure-controlling valve to prevent it from being affected by any fluctuations of pressure at the source.

The present invention provides a construction such that the force of the pull applied the second time to the outer layer only of the upper materials is less than that applied the first time to all the layers. This permits greater force to be applied t0 the several layers than if the same force were used both times, in view of the necessity of guarding against excessive strain on the outer layer when that layer only is pulled. For the purpose in view the construction herein shown is such that the above-mentioned pressure-controlling valve automatically supplies uid of less pressure to close the gripper jaws the second time than to close them the first time. More particularly, the machine is provided with valve-controlling means which acts automatically aiter the ilrst pull of the grippers and prior to the second closing of the jaws to reduce the stress of a valve spring which determines the vpressure of the fluid supplied to close the jaws.

upper to limit the force ofthe pull, means common to all the grippers serves to vary the torce of their grip on the upper, and therefore the force of their pull, by varying the pressure of the iluid pull. Further novelty'also is to be recognized in 'the mechanism disclosed for adjustably varying the force of the grip of the endgripper, including a lever arm the eiective length of which may be quickly varied to vary the closing force applied to one of the gripper jaws.

In'addition to novel mechanical features such as above outlined, the invention provides as a part thereof a novel method involving the pulling i of the outer layer of the toe-end portion of the multi-ply upper, after the trimming of the margin of one or more inner layers, with less force than that applied to all the layers preparatory to the trimming operation.

The novel mechanical features of the invention and the novel method will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In thedrawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in left-hand side elevation of the upper portion of the machine in which features of the invention are herein shown as embodied, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l of a portion of the structure, with some'of the parts in diiferent positions than :in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing mainly the means for gripping and pulling the upper;

Fig. 4 is a partly diagrammatic and partly structural view, showing the valve means for controlling and varying the force of the grip on the upper in its relation to other parts of the machine;

Fig. 5 is mainly a plan view of the valve-controlling means shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the toe-end gripper and other parts as they appear at the time when the grippers rst close on the upper;

Fig. 'l is a view in elevation on an enlarged scale of a portion of the means shown in Fig. 6 for varylng independently the force of the grip of the toe-end gripper;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line VIII- VIII oi Fig. 7;

Figs. 9 to 14 inclusive are views similar to Fig. 6 showing the parts as they appear at different times in the course `of the operation of the machine; and

Fig. 15 is mainly a plan view showing the shoe and certain parts in the positions which they occupy substantially at the beginning of the upper-trimming operation.

In view of the disclosures in the previously men- I tioned Letters Patent, only as much of the structure of the machine as it is necessary to refer to for an understanding of the present invention will be herein described in detail. For positioning the v ters Patent for further positioning-the toe end- 4 when the shoe is presented to the machine and having thereon a spur l arranged to enter an indentation previously formed in the insole in predetermined relation to the edge of the shoe-bot- .tom, as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,391,461,

granted on December 25, 1945, on an application of mine. In the machine herein shown, however, the side gages shown in the last-mentioned Letof the shoe laterally are omitted. Substantially at the beginning of the cycle of power operations of the. machine the shoe is clamped against the member 2 by a toe rest 6 and an instep support 8 which are moved upwardly into supporting relation to theshoe and last; as illustrated in Fig. 9, by huid-operated means not herein shown. By other fluid-operated means a heel rest (not shown) is moved into supporting relation to the heel-end face of the shoe.

When the shoe is presented to the machine by the operator the outturned or outwardly iiaring margin of the toe-end portion of the multi-ply upper is inserted between the open jaws of three grippers comprising a toe-end gripper I0 (Fig. 3) arranged to engage the upper around the end and the corners of the toe and two side grippers I2 arranged to engage it at the sides of the toe immediately beyond the end gripper. The vconstruction of these grippers and of the means for operating and controlling them will be hereinafter more particularly described. As disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,324,509, they are caused to shoe in proper relation to the instrumentalities Y close on the margin of the upper prior tothe starting of the cycle of operations of the machine, so that the operator may, if necessary,

cause them to open and may rearrange the margin of the upper vbetween their jaws before they are again closed and the machine is started. It

will be understood that the toe-end portion of the upper will usually comprise at least three layers of upper materials.- including a toe -box and a lining in addition to the outer layer, but for con 'venience of illustration the present drawings show onlyone layer in addition to the outer layer. When the grippers are closed as above described they grip the margin of the several layers of upper materials.

Shortly after the starting of the cycle of operations of the machine the grippers are operated,

by means more particularly hereinafter described, to pull the toe end of the upper mainly in outward directions lengthwise and widthwise of the last. While the grippers are thereafter holding the upper under tension upward movement is imparted to a wiper support I4 (Fig. 1) which carries a substantially U-shaped toe former i6 (Fig. 6) for wiping the toe-end portion of the upper heightwise of the last and conforming it to the contour of the last in response to that movement of the wiper support. Also carried by the 'wiper support are a. pair of toe-embracing wipers I8 (Fig. 3) which near the end of the cycle of operations wipe the margin of the outer layer of the upper ,inwardly over the insole. Immediately after the above-described upward movement ot the wiper support the margin of the upper, spread outwardly over the wipers I8, is trimmed to remove therefrom all but the outer layer of the upper materials. For this purpose the machine is provided with an end-trimming knife 20 and with a pair of side-trimming knives 22 (Figs. 1 and 15),`all supported by a carrier 24 which is movable downwardly to vcarry them toward the shoe and is also mounted for lateral swinging moveengage the bottom of the forepart of the insole ment to carry them to one side after the uppertrimming operation. The end knife 28 is mounted on an arm 26 which is swung downward relatively to the lcarrier 24 to bring the knife into the propel` plane for the trimming operation and is then moved lengthwise of the shoeto cause the knife to trim the upper. The side knives 22 are swung widthwise of the shoe in the same plane as the end knife and operate on the upper prior to the end knife, these side knives also carrying vertical slitting knives 28 (Fig. 15) which detach from the rest of the upper the strip of waste material. In proper timerelation to the movement oi the knives the several grippers are opened to release the upper and are moved farther outwardly to avoid interference with the knives.

After the trimming of the upper the toe former |6 is withdrawn from the shoe lengthwise thereof and is moved downwardly to its starting position by movement of the wiper support I, and the operations of gripping and pulling the upper and of wiping its toe-end portion heightwise of the last are repeated, the grippers at this time engaging only the outer layer of the upper materials. Also after the upper-trimming operation the oarrier 24 is raised to withdraw the trimming knives from the vicinity of the shoe and is swung laterally to carry the knives to one side. By this swinging movement of the carrier cement-applying means which is also mounted thereon is carried into position over the toe end of theshoe, after which the cement-applying means is moved downwardly and operated to apply the cement to the insole by downward movement of the carrier. The cement-applying means includes an insoleengaging member 38 from which the cement is delivered, the lower portion of this member being shown in Fig. 13. After the upper has been wiped heightwise of. the last and conformed to the last the second time, the wipers. I8 are operated to wipe the margin of its outer layer inwardly over the insole, the cement-applying member 38 serving as a retarder to press the margin of the upper against the edges of the wipers and being forced upwardly away from the insole by the wipers. The manner of operation of the machine thus far briefly outlined is more fully described in the previously mentioned Letters Patent No. 2,377,887.

The toe-end gripper I8 comprises a pair of `jaws ar and sa (Fig. 6), the lower jaw a2 being rast on a slide 36 movable in directions lengthwise of the shoe along guidewaysI on a support 38 common to all the grippers. The upper jaw 34 is mounted on a pin 48 on the lower jaw for swinging movements heightwise of the shoe into and i v to be quickly adjusted to vary as desired, indeout of upper-gripping position and is held'initially in open position by two springs 42 (Figs. 3 and 6) connected to a pin 44 in the jaw. Closing or upper-gripping movement is imparted to the jaw 34 by a piston 46 movable in a cylinder 48 fast on the silde 36. In the construction herein shown, as distinguished from that disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,377,887, the jaw 34 has extending upwardly therefrom an arm 58 forming with the jaw a bell-crank lever and provided in one side thereof with a plurality of recesses A52 at different distances from the pin 48 to receive the rounded end of a bar -54 pivotally connected by a pin 56 to the piston 46. 'Ihe bar and the arm are yieldingly held in a relation to each other determined by any one of these recesses by means of a spring 58 which is mounted in a recess in4 the bar and a rod 68 controlled by the spring and having a curved end in engagement with the arm pendently of the side grippers l2, the eifectlve upper-gripping force applied to the law 34 by the piston '48 by varying the effectivelengthof the lever arm y58. The piston 46 is operated to cause thel toe-end gripper to grip the 'upper by iiuid admitted to the cylinder 48 from a pipe 64 (Fig. 3)

Each of the side grippers l2 comprises a lower jaw 66 and an upper jaw 68 mounted on the lower jaw to swing toward and from the latter heightwlse of the shoe. The lower jaw of each side gripper is secured to a slide 'I8 movable on the support 38 along guideways substantially at right angles to the guideways for the toe-end gripper I8. The upper jaw 68 of each side gripper is connected by a' link |2to a piston 14 operating in a cylinder 16 fast on the slide 18 and is held normally in open position by springs 18. The closing of each side gripper on the upper results from the admission of ud to the corresponding cylinder 'i6 through a tube 88. Fluid under pressure for closing the several grippers on the upper, as well as for imparting operating movements to other parts of the machine, is obtained from a manifold 82 (Fig. 4) in which the fluid is maintained under pressure during the operation of the machine as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,324,589. As indicated in Fig. 4, fluid is admitted to the cylinder 48 and to the pair of cylinders 16 simultaneously by a valve 84, this valve being operated in the first instance by a treadle (not shown) and thereafter automatically in the cycle of operations of the machine and serving also to permit exhaust of uid from the cylinders when returned'to its initial position.

The pulling of the upper by the several grippers is effected mainly by moving the slides 36 and 'i8 outwardly along their guideways on the support 38. Such movement of the slide 36 carrying the toe-end gripper isv effected by a lever 86 mounted to swing about a stud 88 on the support 38 and yieldingly connected to the slide 36 by a spring 98, as more fully disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,377,887, portions of this "lever and of the spring being broken away in Fig. 3. The lever 86 is operated by bodily movement of a cylinder 92 to which fluid is admitted from a tube 84. Return movement of the toe-end gripper is effected, when permitted, by a spring 96 connected to the lever 86. The fluid admitted to the cylinder 82 serves also to impart upper-pulling movement to the left-hand side gripper I2 by movement of a piston 88 in the cylinder, this piston being connected to the slide 'l0 of the left-hand side gripper by means including a three-armed lever |88, as more fully disclosed in the'last-mentioned Letters Patent. Return movement of the left-hand side gripper is effected, when permitted, by .a spring |82-acting on the three-armed lever. Similarly upper-pulling movement is imparted to the right hand side gripper by fluid admitted from a tube |84 to a cylinder |86 and acting on a piston |88 connected to the slide 18 of the righthand gripper by means like that associated with the left-hand gripper and including another three-armed lever |80, this three-armed lever being controlled by another return spring |82. Fluid is admitted simultaneously to the tubes 94 and |84 at the proper times by an automatically controlled valve (not shown)v like the previously mentioned valve 84. By means including a man- 58 in a slot in the arm. The other end of the 75 ually rotatable rod I'I8 the side grippers are ad- It will be eviaccesos '7 justable toward cr from each other, as more fully disclosed inthe previously mentioned IettersPatent No. 2,391,461.

In addition to the pull applied to the upper by the several grippersl in the manner above described, they are caused to exert a further pull thereon as the upper is wiped heightwise of the last by the toe former Il, not only by reason of the tendency of the toe former in its conforming action on the upper to draw the margin of the upper inwardly toward the edge ofthe insole, but also for the reason that at this time all the grippers are moved as a unit a short distance rearwardly lengthwise of the last by movement of the gripper carrier 36. This movement of the gripper carrier is effected through links pivotaily connected respectively to its opposite sides, one of these links being shown in Figs. .1 and 2. These links correspond to the links 21| shown in Letters Patent No. 2,377,887, where a full disclosure will be found of the means whereby they are operated.

In order that the force with which the grippers pull the upper may be definitely predetermined and controlled, the gripper jaws are so formed as to permit them to slip on the upper when its resistance to the force of the pull becomes great enough, and the force with which they grip the upper` is definitely predetermined, ingeneral accordance with the disclosure of Letters Patent No. 2,377,887. For the latter purpose there is interposed between the gripper-closing cylinders 46 and 16 and the valve 84 which admits fluid thereto a pressure-controlling valve ||2 (Figs. l, 2 and 4) which serves variably to reduce the pressure of the fluid supplied to these cylinders below the pressure of the fluid in the manifold 62. The pressure-controlling valve comprises a cylinder ||4 which in the construction herein shown is mounted vertically on the side of the frame of the machine, and a piston IIB movable in the cylinder. By means ofA a spring Ill mounted in a bore in the piston the latter is held initially in engagement with a cap |20 threaded in the lower end of the cylinder, and fluid is conducted into that end of the cylinder from the valve 64 through a pipe |22. Fluid thus admitted to the cylinder passes through a bore -|24 in the piston ||6 to an annular chamber |26 formed peripherally in the piston. From this chamber the fluid passes through a port |28 (Fig. 5) in the cylinder to a coupling |30 anda pipe |32 leading to the gripper-closing cylinders. It will be understood that the fluid admitted to these cylinders first moves the pistons 46 and 14 to swing the gripper jaws 34 and 68 into positions to grip the upper against the cooperating gripper jaws and then serves to increase the pressure of the jaws on the upper. At the same time the uid in the valve cylinder ||4 tends by its pressure on the valve piston ||6 to move this piston upwardly against the resistance of the spring H8. Such movement of the valve piston, however, does not take place until the pressure of the iluidin the gripper-closing in-the gripper-closing cylinders and also trapping the iiuid in those cylinders to maintain the pressure of the gripper jaws on the upper. By the pressure of the duid in the manifold I2 the valve piston is thus moved upwardly far enough to insure that the pressure of the fluid in thegripperclosing cylinders will not be effected by any such fluctuations of pressure in the manifold as may result from admission of fluid to other operating mechanisms with which the machine is providedl In order further to insure against any reduction of pressure in the gripper-closing cylinders there is provided an accumulator |24 (Fig. 4) in communication with the pipe |32, the accumulator comprising a piston |36 movable against the resistance of a spring |30 by the pressure of the uid when the fluid is admitted to the gripperclosing cylinders. To indicate the pressure in these cylinders there is provided a vgage |40 connected by a pipe |42 to the coupling |20 (Fig. 5). When the valve 04 is returned to exhaust position, the reduction of pressure in the pipe |22 causes the valve piston ||6 to be returned by the spring H6, thereby opening the gripper-closing cylinders to exhaust through the bore |24 in the valve piston.

Except for the fact that the valve piston H6 is controlled by the spring ||8 alone, the construction oi the means for determining the pressure of the fluid inthe gripper-closing cylinders, as thus far described, is essentially the same as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,377,887. To vary the pressure of the fluid supplied to the gripperclosing cylinders and thereby to vary the force with which the grippers grip the upper, the machine is further provided with means for adjustably varying the compression of the spring H8. This spring abuts at its upper end against the enlarged head of a stud |44 extending downwardly within the spring, and bearing on the head of the stud i'or adjustment purposes is a pin |46 vertically movable in a cap |48 threaded in the upper end of the cylinder 4. Fast on an annular upward extension of this cap is a, bracket |50, and pivotally mounted on a pin |52 on this bracket is a bell-crank lever |54. One arm of this bell-crank lever carries'a pin |56 bearing on the upper end of the pin |46, and the other arm of the lever is connected by a link |56 to an arm |60 fast on a shaft |62 mounted to turn in a bearing in the front portion of the frame of the machine. lAlso fast on the shaft |62 is an arm |64 by which the operator may turn the shaft to vary as desired the compression of the spring H8. Connected to the arm |60 is a spring |66 which serves partially to counteract the force of the spring ||8 and thus to make it easier to effect the adjustment.

Carried by the arm |64 is a spring-pressed pin |66 arranged to enter any one of a series of recesses |10 formed in a segmental front end portion of a lever |12 which is. loosely mounted on the shaft |62. By this means the arm |64 is locked to the lever |12 in a relation thereto corresponding to the preliminary adjustment of the spring H8, and through the lever |12 the spring is further controlled automatically to cause the grippers to grip the upper the second time with less force than the rst time and therefore to pull the outer layer only of the upper materials with less force than that applied in the first instance to all the layers.

For this purpose there is mounted Yon the framev of the machine a. vertical cylinder |14 having therein a piston |16 engaged on its upper end by a pair of rolls |18 supported on the rear end o! the lever |12. .A spring |20 connected to this lever holds it at all times with the rolls in engagement with the piston |16 and holds the piston normally at the lower end of the cylinder |14, as shown in Fig. 1. After the grippers have released the upper the ilrst time and before they grip it the second time fluid admitted to the lower end of the cylinder serves to raise the piston and thereby to swing the lever |12 as far as permitted by engagement of a -screw |82 carried thereby with an abutment face |84 on the frame of the machine, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Since the arm |64 is locked to the lever it swings with it'and through the link |58 and the bell-crank lever |54 reduces the amount of compression of the spring II8. Accordingly, when iluid is next admitted by the valve 84 to the gripper-closing cylinders there is less resistance to the movement of the valve piston I I6 and the port |28 is closed by the valve piston before the pressure in those cylinders becomes as great as when the grippers gripped the upper the first time. It will be understood that the force of the second grip on the upper may be varied independently by adjustment of the screw |82, and that adjustment of the arm |64 relatively to the lever |12 serves to vary the force with which the upper is gripped both times. Conveniently uid is supplied to the cylinder |14 through a pipe |86 leading from the same fluidpressure line through which fluid is supplied to means for swinging the carrier 24 as hereinbefore described, this means comprising a piston |88 (Fig. 4) movable in a cylinder |96 to which fluid is admitted at the proper time in the cycle by a valve |92.

The manner of operation of the machine, in so far as it is of interest with reference to the present invention will now be briefly summarized. The operator presents the shoe with the bottom of the forepart of the insole in engagement with the shoe rest member 2 and in such a position that the spur 4 enters the indentation previously formed in the insole. In presenting the shoe he also positions the outspread margin of the several layers of the toe-end portion of the upper materials between the jaws of the open toe-end gripper I 0 and side grippers I2. By movement of the valve 84 (Fig. 4) he then causes the jaws of the several grippers to close on themargin of the upper as shown in Fig. 6. In this opera.- tion the fluid flows through the valve piston V| I6 of the pressure-controlling valve I I2 to the gripper-closing cylinders -48 and 16, and as soon as the pressure of the iluid in the valve cylinder I4-becomes great enough to overcome the force of the spring I|8 the valve piston is moved upwardly to close the port |28 and thereby to prevent any further increase of pressure in the gripper-closing cylinders, trapping the iluid in those cylinders. The valve piston is thus moved far enough to insure that the force with which the upper is gripped will not be aifectedv by any fluctuations in the pressure of the fluid at the source of supply. It will be understood that the force with which the upper is thus gripped depends upon previous adjustment of the spring |I8 by the arm |64.

If the upper has been properly gripped, the operator then starts the power operation of the machine. Substantially at the beginning of the cycle of operations the toe rest 6 and the instep support 8 are moved upwardly to clamp the shoe against the shoe rest member 2, and the heel rest (not shown) is moved into supporting relation to the shoe. Shortly after the beginning of the cycle also. the grippers are operated to pull the toe end of the upper in outward directions lengthwise and widthwise of the last. While the grippers are thereafter holding the upper undertension the toe former I6 and the wipers I8 are moved upwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 9, to cause the toe former to wipe the upper heightwise of the last. In this operation, partly because of the action of the toe former on the upper and partly because of a short rearward movement imparted to the gripper support 88, the grippers are caused -to exert a more forcible `pull on the upper. At

this time the' upper may slip more or less in the Jaws `of the grippers in response to its resistance to the force of the pull thereon. thus limiting the force of the pull. Immediately after the upward movement of the toe former and the wipers the margin of the toe end of the upper, spread outwardly over the wipers, is trimmed by outward movements of the trimming knives 26, 22 and 28 which have been moved downwardly toward the shoe by the carrier 24, the grippers being opened to release the upper in time relation to the movements of the knives and being moved farther outwardly to avoid interference with the knives. 'I'he relation of the end knife 2|) to other parts in the course of its upper-trimming movement is illustrated in Fig. 10. By the movements of the knives the margin of all but the outer layer. of the upper materials is trimmed oil. It will be understood that the opening of the grippers results from return movement of the valve 84 to exhaust position, the iluid being thereby released from the pipe |22 and the valve piston ||6 being returned by the spring ||8 to permit exhaust of the fluid also from the gripper-closing cylinders.

After the upper-trimming operation the toe former and the wipers are retracted from the .shoe lengthwise thereof (Fig. 11) and are then moved Ldownwardly to their starting positions. At approximately the same time the carrier 24, which has been moved upwardly to carry the trimming, knives awayfrom thevicinity of the shoe, is swung by uid admitted to the cylinder I 90 by the valve |82 (Fig. 4) to carry the knives to one side and to bring the cement-applying means into position over the shoe. Fluid controlled by the same valve |92 is admitted to the lower end of the cylinder |14 and raises the piston |16, thereby swinging the lever |12 to the position adjustably determined by the screw |82 to reduce the amount of compression of the spring ||8 in the valve cylinder H4. Thereafter the valve 84 is again operated to admit fluid to the gripperclosing cylinders and thus to cause the grippers, which' have been moved inwardly toward the shoe as shown in Fig. 12, to close on the margin of the outer layer only of the upper. In this operation the valve piston I|6 acts in the same manner as before, but by reason of the reduced compression of the spring ||8 closes the port |28' before the pressure in the gripper-closing cylinders becomes as great as when the grippers gripped the upper the first time. The positions of the parts of the pressure-controlling means at the end of the second grip on the upper are illustrated in Fig. 2. Thereafter the grippers are again operated to pull the upper, applying the pull only to the outer layer of the upper materials, and while they hold the upper under tension the toe former and the wipers are again moved upwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 13, to cause the toe former once more to wipe the upper heightwise of the last, the grippers exerting an extra pull on the upper in the same manner as before. At this time the margin of the outer layer of the upper may acoaoos 11l j t slip more or less between the jaws of the grippers, this layer being pulled with less force than that previously applied to all the layers because*l -of the reduced forcey with which its margin is 3U of the cement-applying means, which has been moved downwardly into engagement with the insole, upwardly away from the insole, as more fully disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,377,887. Thereafter the parts of the machine which vare not already in their starting positions are returned to those positions. It will be understood that when the valve |92 is returned to cause reverse swinging movement of the carrier 24 the iluid is released from the cylinder |14 and the spring |80 returns the lever |12 to its initial position, thereby restoring the spring IIB to its first condition of compression.'

If the condition of a shoe after lasting should indicate that better results would be obtained in lasting shoes of that kind, in view of the character of the upper materials, if all the grippers should pull the upper both times either with greater force or with less forca, all that need be done in order to produce the desired results is to adjust the compression of the spring ||8 by means of the arm |64. If it should be desired to vary independently the force of the pull of the end gripper, this may be done by withdrawing the bar 54 from one of the recesses 52 in the arm 50 and inserting it in a dierent recess. The force of the second pull of all the grippers may, moreover, be varied independently by adjusting the stop screw |82. v

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole, means for pulling all the layers of the toe-end portion of the upper preparatory to the upper-trimming operation and for further pulling the outer layer only after that operation with less force than that applied in pulling all the layers, and'means `for thereafter lasting the margin of the outer layer inwardly over the insole.

2. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole,-uppergripping members arranged to grip the margin of the toe-end portion of the upper between them, means for closing said uppergripping members on all the layers of the upper by relative movement thereof and for causing them to pull said layers prior to the upper-trimming operation and for similarly closing them on the margin of the outer layer only after the upper-trimming operation and for causing them to pull that layer alone with less force than that applied in pulling all the layers, and means for l2 thereafter lasting the margin of the inwardly over the insole.

3. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be outer layer lasted inwardly over an insole on the last next' to the insole, wipers for wiping the margin of the outer layer inwardly over the insole, uppergripping members arranged to grip the margin of the toe-end portion of the upper between them, and means for closing said members on all the layers of the upper by relative movement thereof and for operating them to pull saidlayers outwardly over the wipers prior to the uppertrimming operation and for thereafter vsimilarly closing them on the margin of the outer layer only and for operating them to pull that layer alone outwardly over the wipers with less force than that applied in pulling all the layers before its margin is wiped inwardly over the insole by the wipers. Y

4. In a lasting machine; means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted inwardly over an insole on the last next to the insole, means for shaping the toe-end portion of the upper to the contour of the last -by wiping it heightwise oi' the last preparatory to the upper-trimming operation and for similarly reshaping it after that operation, Vand additional means for pulling all the layers of the toeend portion of the upper prior to the uppertrimm-ing operation and for further pulling the outer layer onlyafter that operation with less force than that applied in pulling all the layers prior to the lasting of the margin of the outer layer inwardly over the insole.

5. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole. a toe former for conforming the upper about the toe end of the last to the contour of the last prior to the upper-trimming operation and for again so conforming it after that operation,uppergripping members arranged to grip the margin of the toeend portion of the upper between them, means for closing said upper-gripping members on all the layers of the upper by relative movement thereof and for causing them to pull said layers prior to the upper-trimming operation and for similarly closing them on the margin of the outer layer only after the upper-trimming operation and for causing them to pull thatI layer alone with less force than that applied in pulling all the layers, and means for thereafter lasting the margin of the outer layer inwardly over the insole.

6. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole, a toe former for conforming the upper about the toe end of the last to the contour of the last and for holding it so conformed during the uppertrimming operation, said toe former being movable to release the' upper and again to conform it to the contour of the last by wiping it height- 13 upper-trimming operation and for further pulling the outer layer only after that operation with less force than that applied in pulling all the layers prior to the lasting of the margin of the outer layer inwardly over the insole.

7. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toeend portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the -last next to the insole, upper-gripping means arranged to grip the margin of all the layers of the toe-end portion of the upper and to pull said layers prior to the uppertrimming operation and further to grip the margin of the outer layer only and to pull that layer alone after the upper-trimming operation, said upper-gripping means being so formed as to 'slip on the upper and thereby to limit the force of the pull thereon, and means to cause said uppergripping means to grip the outer layer only with less force than all the layers and thus to cause v the outer layer alone to be pulled with less force than all the layers.

8. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole, upper-gripping members arranged to grip the margin of all the layers of the toe-end portion of the upper between them and to pull said layers prior to the upper-trimming operation and further to grip the margin of the outer layer only and to pull that layer alone after the upper-trimming operation, said upper-gripping members being so formed as to slip on the upper and thereby to limit the force of the pull thereon, and means for closing said members on the outer layer only by relative movement thereof with less force than that previously applied in gripping all the layers to cause the outer layer alone t be pulled with less force than all thek layers.

9. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toeend portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole, upper-gripping means arranged to grip the margin of all the layers of the toe-vend portion of the upper and to pull said layers prior to the uppertrimming operation and further to grip the margin of the outer layer only and to pull that layer alone after the upper-trimming operation, said upper-gripping means being so formed as to slip on the upper and thereby to limit the force of the pull thereon, uid-pressure means for closing said upper-gripping means rst on all the layers and thereafter on the outer layer only, and means for automatically supplying fluid of less pressure to said duid-pressure means in closing the uppergripping means on the outer layer only than in closing said means on all the layers.

10. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer tonbe lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole, upper-gripping members arranged to grip the margin of all the layers of the toe-end portion of the upper between them and to pull said layers prior to the upper-trimming operation and further to grip the margin of the outer layer only and to pull that layer alone after the upper-trimming operation, said upper-gripping members being so formed as to slip on the upper and there- Scontrolling valve for variably determining the pressure of the fluid supplied to said duid-pressure means, and automatic means to cause said valve to supply fluid of less pressure to said iluidr pressure means in closing said members on the outer layer only than in closing them on all the layers.

11. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole, upper-gripping members arranged to grip the margin of all the layers of the toe-end portion of the upper between them and to pull said layers prior to the upper-trimming operation and further to grip the margin of the outer layer only and to pull that layer alone after the upper-trimming operation, said upper-gripping members being so formed as to slip on the upper and thereby to limit the force of the pull thereon, fluidpressure means for closing said members first on all the layers and thereafter on the outer layer only by relative movement thereof, a Huid-operated valve member movable automatically to limit the pressure of the uid supplied to said fluidpressure means, a Spring against the resistance of which said valve members thus movable, and au.. tomatic means for reducing the force of said spring after the pull on al1 the layers to cause fluid of less pressure to be supplied to said uidpressure means to close said members on the outer layer only than to close them on all the layers.

12.. In a'lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole, upper-gripping means arranged to grip the margin of all the layers of the toe-end portion of the upper and to pull said layers prior to the upper-trimming operation and further to grip the margin of the outer layer only and to pull that layer alone after the upper-trimming operation, said upper-gripping means being so formed as to slip on the upper and thereby to limit the force of the pull thereon, duid-pressure means for A closing said upper-gripping means rst on all the layers and thereafter on the outer layer only, means adjustable by the operator to vary the pressure of the iluid supplied to said iluid-pressure means, and additional means for automatically reducing the pressure of the iluid thus supplied to close the upper-gripping means on the outer layer only as compared with the pressure of the fluid supplied to close said means on all the layers.

13. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole, upper-gripping members arranged to grip the margin of all the layers of the toe-end portion of the upper between them and to pull said layers prior to the upper trimming operation and further to grip the margin of the outer layer only and to pull that layer alone after the uppertrimming operation, said upper-gripping members being so formeell as to slip on the upper and thereby to limit the force of the pull thereon, fluid-pressure means for closingsaid members first on all the layers and thereafter on the outer layer only by relative movement thereof, apressure-controlling valve for determining the pressure of the fluid supplied to said fluid-pressure means, means adjustable by the operator to vary by control of said valve the pressure of the fluid thus supplied, and additional automatic means for further controlling said valve to supply fluid of less pressure to said fluid-pressure means to close said members on the outer layer only than to close them on all the layers.

14. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole, upper-gripping members arranged to grip the margin of all the layers of the toe-end portion of the upper between them and to pull said layers prior to the upper-trimming operation and further to grip the margin of the outer layer only and to pull that layer alone after the uppertrimming operation,`=said upper-gripping members being so formed as to slip on the upper and thereby to llimit the force of the pull thereon, fluid-pressure means forv closing said members first on all the layers and thereafter on the outer layer only by relative movement thereof, a

16 4 tion of the upper between them and to pull said layers prior to the upper-trimming operation and further to grip the margin of the outer layer the upper and prior to the gripping of the outer layer only.

15. In a lasting machine, means for trimming sole, upper-gripping members arranged to-gripy the margin of all the layers of the toe-end portion of the upper between them and to pull said layers prior to the upper-trimming operation und further to grip the margin of the outer layer only and to pull that layer alone after the upperonly and to pull that layer alone after the uppertrimming operation, said upper-grippingmembers being so formed as to slip on the upper and thereby to limit the force of the pull thereon, fluid-pressure means for closing said members first on all the layers of the upper and thereafter on the outer layer only by relative movement thereof, a duid-operated valve member movable automatically to limit the pressure of the fluid supplied to said fluid-pressure means, a spring against the resistance of which said valve member is thus movable, an adjusting member movable by the operatorprior to the operation of the machine to vary the force of said spring, a

lever relatively to which said adjusting member is thus movable, means for holding the adjusting member in adjusted relation to said lever, and means for automatically operating said lever to reduce the force of said spring after the pull on all the layers of the upper and prior to the gripping of the outer la'yer only.

17. That improvement'in methods of lasting the toe ends of shoes which consists in applying a pull to the several layers of the toe-end portion of amulti-ply upper on a last, thereafter vtrimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe end of the upper while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an v Y end of the last while applying a pull to the sevtrimming operation, said upper-gripping members being so formed as to slip on the upper and thereby to limit the force of the pull thereon, fluid-pressure 4m'eans for closing said members first on all the layers and thereafter on the outer layer only by relative movement thereof, a duidoperated valve member movable automatically to limit the pressure of the fluid supplied to said fluid-pressure means, a spring against theA resistance of which said valve member is thus movable, an adjusting member movable by the operator prior to the operation of the machine to vary the force of said spring, and fluid-operated means arranged to act through said adjusting member to reduce the force of the spring after the pull on all the layers of the upper and prior to the gripping of the outer layer only.

16. In a lasting machine, means for trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe-end portion of a multi-ply upper on a last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last next to the insole, upper-gripping members arranged to grip the margin of all the layers of the toe-end poreral layers of the upper, trimming the margin of one or more inner layers of the toe end of the upper thus conformed to the contour of the last while leaving a margin of the outer layer to be lasted over an insole on the last, thereafter releasing the upper from the conforming pressure and again similarly conforming it to the toe end of the last while applying to the outer layer only a pull of less force than that previously applied to the several layers, and then lasting the margin of the outer layer inwardly over the insole.

19. In a lasting machine, a. plurality of grippers arranged to grip the margin of an upper on a last in different locations respectively, gripper-operating means movable to operate said grippers to pull the upper, said grippers each comprising a pair of jaws relatively movable to grip the upper independently of the movement of said gripper-operating means, means common to said grippers and adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to increase or decrease simultaneously with respect to all of them the force of their pull on the upper, and additional means also adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to effect a relative variation as between dliferent grippers of the force of their pull on the upper.

20. In a lasting machine, a plurality of grippers arranged to grip the margin of an upper on a last in different locations respectively, gripper-operating means movable to operate said grippers to pull the upper, said grippers each comprising a pair of jaws relatively movable to pull thereon, means common to said grippers i and adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to increase or decrease simultaneously with respect to all of them the force of their pull on the upper by varying the force with which they grip the upper, and additional means also adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to eiect a relative variation as between different grippers of the force of their pull on the upper by varying relatively the force of their grip on the upper.

grippers to pull the upper, said grippers each. comprising a pair ofjaws relatively movablev to grip the upper independently of the movement of said gripper-operating means, means common to said grippers and adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to increase or decrease Simultaneously with respect to all of them the force of their grip on the. upper, and additional means also adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to effect a relative variation as between different grippers of the force of their grip on the upper.

22. In a lasting machine, a plurality of grippers arranged to grip the margin of an upper on a last in different locations respectively and to pull the upper, said grippers each comprising a pair of jaws relatively movable by fluid pressure to close them on the upper, means common to said grippers and adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to increase 6r decrease simultaneously with respect to all of them the force of their grip on the upper by varying thev pressure of the fluid for closing the jaws, and additional means also adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to effect a relative variation as between different grippers of the force of their grip on the upper.

23. In a lasting machine, a plurality of grippers arranged to grip the margin of anupper on a last at the end and the sides of the toe respectively, gripper-operating means movable to operate said grippers to pull the upper, said grippers each comprising a pair of jaws relatively movable to grip the upper independently of the movement of said gripper-operating means, means common to said grippers and adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to increase or decrease simultaneously with respect to all of 18 with said end gripper only and also adjustable prior to the operation of the machine further to vary independently the force with which that gripper grips the upper.

25. In a lasting machine, a plurality of grip` pers arranged t0 grip the margin of an upper on a last at the end and the sides of the toe respectively and to pull the upper, said grippers each comprising a pair of jaws relatively movable by fluid pressure to close them on the upper, means common to said grippers and adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to increase or decrease simultaneously with respect to all of them the force of their grip on the upper by varying the pressure of the fluid for closing the jaws, and additional means associated with said end gripper only and also adjustable prior to the operation of the machine further to vary independently the force with which that gripper grips the upper.

26. In a lasting machine, a plurality of grippers arranged to grip the margin of an upper on a last at the end and the sides of the toe respectively and to pull the upper, fluid-operated members associated respectively with the different grippers for closing them on the upper, connections between said members and the different respective grippers, and a device common to all said grippers for varying the force of their grip on the up'per by varying the pressure of the fluid for operating said members, the connection between the end gripper and its huid-operated member being adjustable further to vary independently the force with which that gripper grips the upper.

27. In a lasting machine, a gripper for gripping the margin of an upper on a last and for pulling the upper, said gripper comprising a pair of jaws one of which is movable about an axis toward and from the other, an arm in xed relation to said movable jaw, a member for imparting uppergripping movement to said movable jaw through said arm, and yieldable retaining means for connecting said member and arm together selectively them the force of their pull on the upper, and

additional means associated with said end gripper only and also adjustable prior to the operation of the machine further to vary independently the force with which that gripper pulls the upper. l

24. In a lasting machine, a plurality of grippers arranged t0 grip the margin of an upper on a last at the end and the sides of the toe respectively, gripper-operating means movable to operate said grippers to pull the upper, said grippers each comprising a pair of jaws relatively movable to grip the upper independently of the movement of said gripper-operating means, means common to said grippers and adjustable prior to the operation of the machine to increase or decrease simultaneously with respect to all of them the force of their grip on the upper, and additional means associated at diierent distances from the axis of said movable jaw.

28. `In a lasting machine, a gripper for gripping the margin of an upper on a last and for pulling the upper, said gripper comprising a pair of jaws one of which is movable about an axis toward and from the other, an arm in fixed relation to said movable jaw, said arm having in one side thereof a plurality of recesses at different distances from said axis, a jaw-closing member constructed and Iarranged to engage said arm selectively in any one of said recesses, and means for yieldingly coupling said member and arm together in a relation to each other determined by any of said recesses.

29. In a lasting machine, a gripper for gripping the margin of an upper on a last and for pulling the upper, said gripper comprising a pair of jaws one of which is movable about an axis toward and from the other, an arm forming with said movable jaw a bell-crank lever, a iluid-operated member for imparting upper-gripping movement to said movable jaw through said arm, and yieldable retaining means for connecting said member and arm together selectively at different distances from the axis of said movable jaw.

30. In a lasting machine,- a gripper for gripping the margin of an upper on a last and for pulling the upper, said gripper comprising a pair of jaws one of which is mounted for swinging movement toward and from the other, an arm forming with said movable jaw a bell-crank lever, said arm having therein a plurality of recesses at different l 19 Y distances from the iulcrum of said lever, a fluidoperated piston for imparting upper-.grippins movement to said movable 'Jaw through said arm, Y a bar connected to said piston and constructed and arranged to engage said arm selectively in any one of said recesses, and means for yieldlngly holding said bar and arm in engagement with each other. y

31. In a lasting machine, a gripper 'for gripping the margin of an upper on a last and for pulling the upper, said gripper comprising a pair o! jaws one of which is mounted for swinging movement toward and from the other, an arm forming with recesses.

BERNHARDT J ORGENSEN. 

